As previously stated, many of the more than 220 people who work for Hi-Tech
inks have been friends and acquaintances of Graham’s for many years and it
is this mutual respect which makes a major contribution to the success of the
company. Following the management buyout, Graham decided that he wanted
to play more of a strategic and troubleshooting role within the company. It
was for this reason that Kevin Mei was appointed general manager with the
responsibility for running the day-to-day operations of the company. Kevin is
just one of those people who spread his wings following eight years with the
company. He returned a little over a year ago and since then has been
overseeing the running of the business.
Kevin commented, ‘It is not always an easy company to manage given that
so many of our staff are based offsite. There are actually more people
permanently based at client premises than there are who are based here
at the plant in Durban.’
He added, ‘Sustainability is of key importance and it is something we work hard
to achieve. Every aspect of the business is aimed at achieving this whether it be
agreements with suppliers of raw materials.’
Quality – both of its inks and its service are paramount The necessary steps,
checks and measures have been put in place to ensure that every batch of ink is
the same as every batch which has preceded it and which will follow it. Hi-Tech
is more concerned with the quality of the printing which its customers are able
to achieve. Not only that but with the technical knowledge of it the people who
are using the ink. This is not merely entrusted to the people who are situated
at clients’ plants but there is one person dedicated to providing training to
customers’ staff.
Peter Blythe is arguably Graham’s oldest friend in the printing industry. They have
a relationship which spans over Graham’s entire 46 years in the industry and the
depth of the friendship goes much deeper than words could ever hope to tell. At
various points in their careers, they have worked together, in opposition to each
other and they have both had the opportunity to be the boss to the other. Peter
started his career in the laboratory of an ink manufacturing company at the age of
17 and has only really had one day of retirement in that period. No sooner had he
retired than Graham approached him to come on board at Hi-Tech Inks to develop
and provide a training course to printers in the use and handling of the inks the
company manufactures. The mutual respect, admiration and genuine affection
shared between these two men of science is yet further evidence that Hi-Tech
Inks is a family in the true sense of the word.
By offering training courses and practical assistance to printers, Hi-Tech Inks
believes that it can contribute to greater efficiencies on the part of its clients
which will relate to greater savings and cost-effectiveness.
The research lab in Durban
Chris Lombard, financial director
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